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Around 100 boats were out to welcome the American giant, in beautiful sunshine and a rather fickle wind. A crowd of supporters were massed at the Pharo, along the jetties and then in front of the town hall where the ceremony for the presenting of the The Race shield took place.

It took Cam Lewis and his crew a little over 82 days and 20 hours to complete this circumnavigation marked by two halts, first of all in Cape Town and then in Wellington to twice repair the main beam fairing that delaminated during powerful impacts in the waves. "The boat made it safely back to port and yet not many people were betting on such an eventuality before the start. Apart from the delamination problems with the main beam fairing we didn't break anything and the sails are in excellent shape, even though we were attempting a first by taking sails in cuben fibre around the world", declared Jacques Vincent and Philippe Pech? when they were questioned on the boat.

Cam Lewis, with his children on his knees, thanked everyone who enabled him to live this adventure around the planet: families, sponsors, architects, builders, organisers and the technical teams ashore.

Further south, Warta-Poplpharma is ready to go again, the repairs being finished. "We haven't yet received the mainsail cars that we are expecting from France. Never mind, we'll do without, we are used to it. We are still in the race and we don't want to loose a minute more, despite the extraordinary reception the Brazilians have afforded us here" said Dariusz Drapella.

Team Legato has found wind again and is gaining some easting before crossing the Equator, about 424 miles distant.